a place of refuge

I'm glad today is over...

It was a crazy day... in fact, it's been a crazy two weeks!

If these past couple of weeks are indicative of what life as a 35 year old will be like than I might like to skip ahead to 36.

Can I do that?

Today I attended my third funeral in nine days.  All had ties to Belmont.  Today it was a past staff member.  Stephanie was the office manager in the HR department when I started at Belmont and went through my new staff orientation.  Stephanie was in her mid-40s and left behind twin boys who were just entering their teen years.

Last week's funerals included the step-father of a student and the almost 95 year old father of one of our beloved faculty.  One lived a long, full life and left a lifetime of impressions on his child.  The other was lost much too soon.  Still new to his step-son, and family, with many, many years of impressing left undone.

Tough stuff...

In case this wasn't enough to shoulder, we've been dealing with some big issues relating to new understandings on our campus.  Some of the implications of these issues and understandings could lead to minor, or even major, changes in the way our team seeks to serve the Belmont community.

Yah, it's been a crazy couple of weeks... which has made coming home all the more sweet!  

I always love coming home... but the past couple of weeks my home and my family have really served as a refuge and a place to be renewed.  

There's something very special about HOME.  It's no one thing... but really the sum total of it all!  God is in this place - in the loving hugs of my kids - the embrace and encouragement of my wife - and the peaceful home that we continue to thank God for.

Yes, there's nothing quite like having a place of refuge to retreat to at the end of a long day.

Thanks be to God for all that He has provided!

turning 35

so i turn 35 tomorrow.

and for some reason, for the first time in my life, i am now seeing 40 off on the horizon.

i'm not exactly sure what this means... other than the obvious... that i am indeed getting older.

i don't know about you, but i often find myself passing/approaching different milestones in life and feeling like i should be feeling... well, different. at least different than i find myself feeling.

i find myself wondering if, at some point in time, my body - mind - and heart will all come together and i all of the sudden "feel" my age.

i mean, isn't that how it's supposed to work?

when i look at where i'm at in life - married for almost 10 years, 3 small children, in my 13th year of campus ministry, relatively healthy and happy... it's what and where i think someone at/around age 35 might/should find themselves...

but on the other hand, there's something about 35 that sounds so old (which might have something to do with the fact that i have spent much of the last 17 years of my life on college campuses)... and with 40 out there on the horizon i find myself remembering back to my dad's 40th birthday celebration and thinking... "wow, will that really be me in just 5 years?!?"

what do you think? what are/were your expectations for 35? where do/did you think you will/would be?

how about 40?

i'm looking forward to a nice, quiet weekend with the family! not sure if that's an "older" thing, or more so an "introvert" thing... either way, it should be good! :)

how do you feel about birthdays, aging, maturity, etc.? is age more of a physical or mental reality for you??

happy birthday to all i share the great month of October with!!

my day at catalyst

I'm at a conference down in Atlanta and blogged about it over at my other blog: Faith on Campus 

Check it out if you're interested!

back on the blog

i can't believe that it's been nearly 6 weeks since i last posted...

we've been on quite a journey these past 5 months!

• a housing journey that included: a miraculous sale; the near purchase of what would have been our worst nightmare; 10 weeks and a day of living out of the homes of friends and family; and finally, God's provision of a dream home!
• numerous road trips (to FL, MN, OH, FL, OH) over the course of 3 months
• times of being together as a family... and too many times of being a part
• the start of an unprecedented (for me) 5th year at the same school (Belmont)
  

i think we're all still a little weary from the whirlwind of the past several months... but the evidence of God's provision throughout this time has been second to none.  we continue to be grateful for all who have prayed for us, provided a place to stay, a place to store stuff, and been their in friendship and community!

i look forward to finding some time and space to re/engage in some good reflection (and hopefully, conversation) on this blog.  i pray that as He continues His work in me, that it might serve as a source of encouragement to any who might find their way here.

God's grace and peace to you tonight!